Wedding Bells
by BTS-ARMY
Summary: AU. It was Ivan's wedding day, yet it wasn't Yao standing at the altar with him. With church bells ringing, bouquets of flowers, bridesmaids, and smiling guests, Ivan was faced with a decision that would change his life forever. ROCHU.


AN: Inspired by the ending of the Graduate, and the theme of runaway brides lol.

And yes BerylCoronet, this does contain a happy ending. I can see your doubts, but I promise Ivan and Yao will get a happy ending T.T

* * *

He ran, feet kissing the pavement. Bumping into pedestrians on the busy street, he mumbled 'sorry' after 'sorry' as people shot him dirty looks. But he hardly cared. He had to make it there. Even if it might be fruitless in the end, his legs and feet refused to stop.

Heart pounding violently, he bolted down the sidewalk with loose strands of raven hair dancing in the summer breeze. His tie was not done properly and he knew he looked like a mess but he was racing against time. Rather, he was racing against his fate. Their fate.

The cars honked aggressively at him, threatening to run him over, yet he smiled apologetically at the drivers. The crossing light flashed red, still the man ran.

His lungs were working overtime, his vision blurred, and his throat felt like a dry dessert devoid of any drop of water for over a thousand year. Despite of his exhausted state, there was a smile on his face. For the first time in over five years, he felt he was finally doing something he truly wanted. Perhaps for the first time in his life, he didn't want to think about the consequences. Focusing on the present and the sound of his heart palpitating, his smile widened.

Closer now, he was almost there. Just another few blocks away and he would be there. Listen, he could almost hear church bells ringing.

* * *

The bells rang in a peal, signaling a day where two people would be unified under the blessings of heaven. It resonated brightly against the white bouquets of flowers, the white suits, and the white wedding dress. The color signified innocence and purity, and the redness of the bride's cheeks contrasted deeply with the ivory hue.

The room was lit with silent abuzz. Every guest looked in anticipation at the couple standing at the altar. It was a picture perfect scene that seemed like it came straight from the movies; the bride and the groom happily staring at each other in adoration…

The groom's smile was frozen on his face.

It was his wedding day. His family was here. Most of his friends were here. He was finally getting what he wanted as a child…starting a family of his own. Yet instead of happiness, he felt guilt. Ivan believed he loved his fiancée, but he knew that he-

Ivan deeply cared about her…but he didn't dare to look into her eyes. For he knew that the guilt he felt would only grow if he saw the joy on her face. She was a good girl. She didn't deserve this. But shouldn't he deserve to be happy too?

Happy. Yes, that was exactly what he should be feeling. And he was happy when he was with her. But Ivan was never a great liar. The guilt and regret overshadowed whatever delight he might have had when he proposed. This was more than getting cold feet.

When he closed his eyes, he could only see images of that man: his amber eyes that twinkled beneath the starless sky; his lips that could curl into an adorable pout or a smile that would melt winter; his breath on his neck; and… his anger and tears. Ivan opened his eyes again.

Maybe they just weren't meant to be.

He had moved on. They went their separate ways. And they hadn't seen or spoken a word to each other in over five years.

But when they met again a month prior to his wedding, an old wound was opened. Perhaps it never healed in the first place.

They talked politely like old friends to each other. Yao congratulated him on his marriage and he asked him to cancel it.

Just like that.

He said he still loved him. And Ivan sworn he could have cried right there and then. But instead he laughed.

The pain on Yao's face immediately made him wish he could have taken it back. But he thought it was rather funny that he heard what he wanted to hear in all those years just when he had convinced himself to move on. Absolutely hilarious. Well laughing seemed to be more containable than crying.

He remembered telling Yao that it was not possible for them to be together when he was already engaged and promised to another. It wouldn't be fair. And they were no longer children; they needed to take responsibilities for their actions.

He remembered Yao muttering that wasn't he the one who used to tell him that they should let their hearts guide their path. Then he chuckled too, and said sorry. Yao smiled at him and told him to forget about what he just said. He wasn't thinking and that he offered them his most sincere blessings. As he was leaving, Ivan called after him and asked him to come to his wedding. _Please_ , he remembered saying. Yao never replied.

A muscle twitched involuntarily at the corner of his right eye and he exhaled out a puff of warm air. He asked Alfred to tell Yao about the address, and he promised him he would try his best to get Yao to come. But of course he couldn't find Yao anywhere among the guests.

Maybe it was for the best.

Ivan didn't know what he would do, what irrational decisions he would make, if Yao was sitting right there.

"Ivan Braginsky, do you take Anya Nikolaev to be your wife? Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and to honor her all the days of your life?"

The priest's words rung louder than the bells.

"I-"

* * *

After running for what seemed like forever, he finally reached the church. Panting heavily with his hands on his knees, Yao stopped at the doorstep to catch his breath before making his way inside. His white shirt was dampened by sweat, and he ruffled back his hair from getting stuck to his face. The door to the ceremony was locked so he hastily made a dash to the stairs leading upward.

He had to see him.

For an office man, his legs were sore from the strenuous exercise. But the physical pain paled in comparison to the heartache he felt for the past months.

Wondering aimlessly in the hallways, he didn't want to stop moving because if he did, he was sure he could collapse right there and then.

In the center of the building stood a huge glass panel overlooking the inside of the wedding ceremony. And Yao walked over there with trembling legs.

He softly placed his hand on the glass and bit down on his lips as he watched the person he loved the most standing on the altar with someone else.

"No…" he whispered. He thought he could be happy for him. He thought he could be a selfless person who could support him from the sidelines as he began a new life with someone else. But no.

His hand twisted into a fist, and he pressed his forehead onto the cold panel. Even if this turned out to be a mistake…this would be the best damn mistake he ever made. For once, he wanted to be brave.

With the strength he never thought he had, he pounded his fist on the glass. Again and again, the glass shook as if it really had the potential to shatter and break.

"IVAN!" He screamed.

* * *

"I-" His vow was interrupted by a voice that only seemed to exist in his dreams these days. It called his name again and again and he was afraid to turn around and look up. But the persistency of the noise propelled his legs and caused his muscles to move before he knew what he was doing. And as he looked up, he saw Yao.

Mouth agape, no words came out. Slowly and gradually, his lips stretched into the shape of his favorite word.

"Y-Yao…?"

The wedding ceremony was interrupted by the man on the second floor. Some guests stared in shock, some looked in horror, while others had a look of understanding on their faces.

Ivan glanced back at his bride and the priest, and knew there was nothing he could say to erase what he was about to commit.

"I'm so sorry." He mouthed to her and backed away from the altar.

He didn't want to see the sadness on her face or the disapproving looks from most of the people in the room. With stiff legs, he walked slowly one step at a time towards the door.

He didn't know what he was doing, didn't want to think about what he was doing. All he knew for sure was that if life was full of regrets, not grabbing Yao's hand would be the biggest regret of his life.

Then his reluctant steps were changed to a jog and he started to run too. Pushing open the door, he came face to face with Yao.

They stared breathlessly at each other for a moment before breaking into smiles and their fingers found the missing spaces in each others' hands.

They ran out of the church and onto the sidewalk where pigeons flew away in a horde of white feathers.

Laughing like two school children fleeing from classes, they ran until they stopped one of the buses and got on it.

They didn't care to check the number on the bus. It didn't matter to them where they were going.

Once they sat down on the seats at the back, they ignored the curious looks the passengers were throwing at them. They kept on laughing while their hands never let go of each other.

Once the laughter had died down, Yao leaned his head on Ivan's shoulder and smiled faintly.

They hadn't spoken a single word to each other.

As silence set in, each thought about their actions and the consequences. Their past and their future.

They didn't look at each other. But their hands tightened in an unspoken vow to never let each other go.

* * *

AN: No matter what, they will always find their ways to each others. And that is why I don't have sad rochu endings :P


End file.
